Poultry supporting means



Feb. 24, 1959 B. GONZALEZ POULTRY SUPPORTING MEANS Filed NOV. 16, 1956 TORNEYS m R 2 m M? N E 5 M 51 "i v United States Patent] 2,874,404 POULTRY SUPPORTING MEANS Ben Gonzalez, San Leandro, Calif.

Application November 16, 1956, Serial No. 622,655

3 Claims. (Cl. 1744.1)

The invention relates to a means for supporting fowls,

or other animals in position for dressing, eviscerating, dismembering or for performance thereon of other required operations. More particularly the invention relates to a supporting means of this type designed for use in commercial establishments and the like, where the operations are carried out on a large-scale basis. An object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described which will permit mounting the fowl quickly and eifectively in a position most conducive to performing the various operations thereon, and especially the operations of progressively dismembering the fowl or cutting off sections thereof.

A further object of the invention is to-provide a means of the character described which will support the fowl in a firm position and permit the operator to have his hands free for carrying out the cutting etc. operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described which will be so designed and constructed as to leave no places where blood, or other parts of the fowl may lodge, and become a source of contamination, but will lend itself to easy cleaning and maintenance in a sanitary and sterile condition.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described in which the washing of the fowl and severed parts may be effectively accomplished without undue spattering of water, and in which the washing operation will serve not only to cleanse the fowl but to clean off the mounting structure and fiush away undesired severed bits of the fowl.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. his to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the means of my invention in assembled position and showing a fowl mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the unit looking from the right of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary view similar to Figure 2, showing the upper rear portion of the frame on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the device looking from the front thereof.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of one of the fowl gripping members of the device.

In the preferred form, the means of my invention is designed to be supported from the bottom and comprises a unitary frame 6 formed for the most part of metal rod stock and provided with a base portion 7, a standard 8 which extends upward from the rear of the base, and an upper portion 9 which extends forward from the top of the standard and overlies the base. As shown in the 2,374,404 Patented Feb. 24, 1959 drawings the frame is arranged to be supported with the base resting-upon the bottom of a pan 12 and fitted against the side walls 13 thereof so as to firmly retain the frame structure in position.-

For convenience of manufacture, the base and standard portions of the frame are formed largely of a single piece of rod, the latter being bent to provide spaced side bars 11 having sections 14 for the base and sections 15 for the standard. Sections 14 are designed to extend horizontally while sections 15 are bent so as to extend upright preferably at right angles to sections 14. The latter are joined by a front portion 17 of the rod, while sections 15 are joined at the top by an integral portion 18. The free ends of the rod may be located at any point desired and preferably such ends may be joined by welding or the like to provide a continuous member.

A cross bar 19 extends between and connects the rear portions of sections 14 and as will be seen from Figure 1, the bar 19 and portion 17 provide supports for a series of spaced bars or rods 21 which extend parallel to sections 14 and define an open rack 22. Rods 21 are preferably secured to parts 17 and 19 by welding.

The upper frame portion 9 includes a pair of transversely spaced bars 23 and 24 which extend forwardly from top portion 18 to overlie the rack. At the rear the bars 23 and 24 are aflixed to portion 18 and extend downwardly to a cross member 26 extending between and secured to the side sections 15 of the standard. Bars 23 and 24 are likewise afiixed to member 26, and rigidity is imparted to the bars by means of an angle brace 27 which is secured to both parts 18 and 26 and to a cross piece 28 extending between and connecting the bars 23 and 24.

In accordance with my invention, I provide for sup porting the fowl in a firm position over and above the base and in such manner as to afford the operator access to the fowl to perform the operations on the fowl in the most efiicient manner without requiring the operator to use either hand for assisting in the support or positioning of the animal. In accordnace with the above, my device is designed to provide for the support of the fowl simultaneously at three points, and to permit the operator to effect the attachment of the fowl to the device at these points with utmost ease and speed and without twisting the fowl out of natural shape.

Formed at the forward ends of the bars 23 and 24 are loops or hooks 29 and 30 respectively having their open side 36 facing outwardly as shown in Figure 1, or facing forwardly as indicated at 44 in the modified form depicted in Figure 5. Preferably the terminal portions of the bars 23 and 24 are bent outwardly so as to afford easier access to the space within the hooks. The opposed portions 31 and 32 of the body of the hooks are spaced apart sufficient to accommodate the leg of the fowl and resiliently engage the same when inserted in the space therein. In this connection it is to be noted that the forward portion 31 of the-hook may be flexed relatively easily since one end is free and the bars are formed of comparatively resilient rod material. Also the hook portion 31 is bent inwardly intermediate its ends and toward the portion 32 so that the leg will be more effectively prevented from slipping out of the book. The hooks are spaced from each a distance such that when the legs of the fowl are engaged therein the body'of the fowl will be exposed and accessible to the operator.

As one of the important aspects of the invention, I provide for use in combination with the aforesaid means of gripping the legs of the fowl, a means of gripping the neck of the fowl in such manner that when both the legs and the neck are operatively engaged by both of the aforesaid means, not only will practically all of the parts of the fowl be readily accessible, but the entire fowl will be firmly held in position not alone for operations such as evisceration, but throughout most of the operation of dismembering or cutting the fowl into the desired'sections.

In accordance with the above, there is provided, preferably on the cross bar 26 of the standard, a generally V-shaped recess 33 formed by downwardly converging portions 34 and 35 of the bar. The recess is closed at the bottom, but open at the top for the insertion or withdrawal of the neck respectively into or out of the recess. As will be evident, due to the shape of the recess, when the neck is pressed down therein it will become firmly wedged or gripped therein. In this manner when the legs are engaged in hooks 29 and 30, and the neck drawn taut and thrust down in the depression, the legs, body, neck, etc. will be held and supported in desired position. It is to be noted that both the hooks and the portions of the bar 26 forming the recess 33 have a more or less yielding mounting and by reason thereof, a resilient force may be exerted to keep the fowl suspended in fully extended position.

For performing the eviscerating and dismembering operations, it is desirable to have the fowl supported in position with the breast uppermost and the body inclined away from the operator at a slight angle to the horizontal from the hind end to the neck of the fowl. For this reason, as will be clear from the drawings, the neck-gripping means is located not only rearwardly of the leg engaging means but in a lower plane.

As a part of the eviscerating operation it is customary to fiush the inside of the fowl with water. For this purpose, a loop 37 of rod material is secured to the standard so as to project from the top thereof preferably adjacent one side. A hose such as indicated at 38 and connected to a suitable source of water under pressure, may be threaded through the loop. A nozzle, desirably equipped with a control valve is shown at the end of the hose, and with the fowl positioned as illustrated in Figure l, the operator can use the stream of water from the nozzle to readily flush out the inside of the fowl and rinse away any undesirable particles and substances from the supported fowl or portions severed therefrom. A splash-back 39 preferably of the same size as the standard is positioned at the rear of the latter and extended into the tank. Clips 40 are afiixed to the upper portion of member 39 arranged to removably engage the bar 18 of the sandard to assist in retaining the member in position. By means of member 39 the water directed by the operator against the fowl will be guided down into the pan where it may drain together with the particles and substances aforesaid, out through a suitable outlet 41 provided in the pan.

As will be clear, the rack 22 which is incorporated with the base, will substanially completely underlie the fowl when operatively supported in position. Thus all of the larger particles dropping from the fowl will be trapped on the rack and thereby prevented from clogging the outlet in the pan. Also as will be noted, the rack and pan extend a considerable distance from the portion designed to directly underlie the suspended fowl, and therefore a large area is available upon which may be placed the sections of the fowl as progressively severed therefrom.

In order that the sections of the fowl which have been washed and placed on the rack, may be drained of excess and under at their ends to provide legs 43 to engage the bottom of the pan or other surface on which the device is supported. It is important that the legs be long or high enough to keep the rack out of the water in the pan and thus prevent the rack as well as the portion of the fowl thereon from contact with the liquid and matter deposited in the pan and not yet drained out. The legs also serve to prevent the rack from interfering with the free flow of the liquid and matter from the pan.

It is important to observe that the structure as shown in the drawings has no crevices or other places difiicult to wash and clean or in or on which the water and the matter removed from the fowl may accumulate and thereby render the device and operations unsanitary and otherwise objectionable; and likewise, it should be noted the parts of the device, namely the frame unit, the pan, and the splash-back, may be readily assembled, and disassembled and easily washed separately and stored.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mounting for supporting a fowl or the like for eviscerating, dismembering or similar operations, a frame having front and rear portions and including a horizontal open rack forming the base thereof, said frame having an upright standard formed with spaced sections extending from the base adjacent the rear edge thereof, said sections terminating in a top portion with a cross member positioned beneath said top portion, said top portion having a pair of horizontally spaced members extending outwardly therefrom for the retention of the legs of a fowl positioned over and spaced from said rack, said cross member having a recess for receivingthe neck of a fowl, the relationship of the horizontally spaced members and the cross member being such that the fowl is supported in a generally horizontal position and with the body of the fowl maintained in a relatively taut condition.

2. In a mounting for supporting a chicken or the like for eviscerating, dismembering and similar operations, a frame having front and rear portions and including a horizontal open rack forming the base thereof, said frame having an upright standard formed with spaced sections extending from the base adjacentthe rear edge thereof, said sections terminating in a top portion with a cross member positioned beneath said top portion, said top portion having horizontal members extending outwardly therefrom to overlie .the base, said horizontal members terminating in transversely Spaced leg gripping members to securely grip the legs of a fowl, said cross member having a substantially V-shaped recess for engaging the neck of a fowl, said leg gripping members and said V- shaped recess securely holding the fowl in a substantially horizontal and taut position.

3. In a mounting according to claim 2 wherein said leg gripping members are outwardly directed open loops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

